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Our Little Russian Cousin 


The Little Cousin Series 

9 

Our Little Japanese Cousin 

Bv Mary Haz elton Wade 

Our Little Indian Cousin 

By Mary Hazelton Wade 

Our Little Brown Cousin 

By Mary Hazelton Wade 

Our Little Russian Cousin 

By Mary Hazelton Wade 

9 

L. C, PAGE & COMPANY, 
Publishers 

200 Summer Street, Boston, Mass, 


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| Our Little Russian | 

t Cousin 

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By 

Mary Hazelton Wade 


Illustrated by 

L. J. Bridgman 


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Boston 

L. C. Page & Company 

MDCCCCI 


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4 * 4 * 4 * 4 * 4 * 4 * 4 * 4 * 4 * 4 * 4 * 4 * 4 * 4 *^ 







THE LIBRARY OF 
CONGRESS, 
Two Cohe® Received 

JUL. 26 1901 


Copyright entry 

Class <=cxxe. n*. 


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COPY B. 



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Copyright igoi 

By L. C. Page & Company 

(incorporated) 

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All rights reserved 


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©olontal $ress: 

Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co. 
Boston, Mass., U. S. A. 


List of Illustrations 


Petrovna ..... 
Baby Brother and His Nurse . 

A Very Grand Building . 

In the Peasant Village . 

Marfa and Frost 

The Great Fair of Nijni-Novgorod 


PAGE 

Frontispiece 

• 17 

• 32 




44 ^ 


59 ^ 
74 ^ 


Our Little Russian Cousin. 



Our Little Russian Cousin 


Petrovna is a dainty little floweret of the 
cold lands far away. She is your little Rus- 
sian cousin. Her home is in the largest coun- 
try of this great round ball, the Earth. How 
fair are her cheeks, how blue her eyes, and 
what long, beautiful, yellow hair she has ! Her 
hands are so white and soft and plump, I 
know you would like to squeeze them. 

She is very gentle and ladylike. Her 
mamma has taught her that is the right way 
to behave. Yet she is full of fun, and laughs 
at every joke that her brother Ivan makes. 
They have great sport together, these two 
children. Petrovna is ten, and Ivan eight 
years old. 


9 


io Our Little Russian Cousin 


Sometimes they play they are grown up, 
just as you do. Then Petrovna puts on her 
mother’s gown with a long train, and Ivan 
dresses himself up like a soldier. Petrovna 
“ makes believe ” that she is a princess at the 
court of the Emperor. She powders her hair, 
and puffs it on the top of her head, and places 
feathers in it. Ivan cuts shining ornaments 
out of a sheet of tin and fastens them on his 
coat. He pretends that these were given him 
for bravery in battle. 

These little children live in a fine city near 
the sea. Its name is St. Petersburg. The 
streets look very much like those of Chicago 
and New York. There are many grand pal- 
aces, however, and the churches are quite 
different from ours. 

Perhaps you would like to know why St. 
Petersburg was built. A long time ago Peter 
the Great was the ruler of Russia. There was 
no large city in the country near the sea at 


Our Little Russian Cousin 1 1 


that time. Peter said, “ If my country is 
to be powerful, I must have a city that is 
near the coast and that looks toward the 
rest of Europe. ” 

Peter went to the shores of the river Neva, 
near the Baltic Sea. The land was low and 
marshy. That did not matter to him. He 
sent out an order for workmen. Great num- 
bers of men came to the spot he had chosen, 
to prepare it for streets and houses. Thou- 
sands of piles must first be driven into the 
marshy soil. Millions of stones must be 
brought to fill it up before streets could be 
laid. It was such unhealthful work that, be- 
fore the city was finished, hundreds of the 
poor workmen died of fever. But the work 
was done, and Peter the Great went to live 
there. 

He brought all his court with him. He 
made the place his capital. It is now the 
most important city of Russia, and one of 


12 Our Little Russian Cousin 


the largest in the world. It is often called 
the “ Czar’s Window,” because he is said to 
look out over Europe from this place. (I for- 
got to tell you that the Emperor of Russia 
is called the Czar.) 

Let us come back to Petrovna and Ivan, 
who are just going out on the river to skate. 
Their home is almost a palace, it is so big and 
grand. Their father is a merchant. He buys 
tea from the East and sells it to the people 
of his own country. He has grown so rich 
that he owns a fine house in the city, in which 
the family live during the long, cold winter. 
They go to another home on an island of the 
river Neva in the summer-time. 

Let us look into the big drawing-room, 
where papa and mamma entertain their friends 
in the evening. How high the walls are ! 
At one side of the room is an immense porce- 
lain stove. It looks somewhat like a tomb. 
It is big enough for a play-house for Petrovna 


Our Little Russian Cousin 13 

and Ivan. A big wood fire is built in the 
stove on cold winter mornings. When it 
has burnt down to glowing coals, the chim- 
ney is closed up, and port-holes from the stove 
are opened. Then the heat rushes out into 
the room. How close the air becomes ! You 
do not wonder at it when you look around 
and notice that there are three sets of windows 
at each casing. There is only one pane in 
the whole room which can be opened to let 
in the outside air. The Russians are afraid 
of having the cold enter their houses. They 
have enough of it out-of-doors during at least 
six months of the year. 

What is that strange-looking vessel on the 
side table ? It is of shining copper. The 
maid polishes it very often, as it is used every 
evening by papa and mamma. They call it a 
“ samovar,” and no Russian home is complete 
without one. You probably can’t guess the 
reason, so I will have to tell you. 


14 Our Little Russian Cousin 

You must understand that the people of 
this far-away land are great tea-drinkers. Tea 
in the morning, tea at noon, tea at night, and 
tea between-whiles. They like it fresh, too. 
Tea always tastes best and is least harmful 
when drunk as soon as it is made. So these 
good Russians must have something near 
them on which to heat the water. In the 
middle of the samovar is a cylinder in which 
hot coals are placed, and the water is heated 
around this cylinder. 

The boiling water is taken out whenever it 
is wanted and poured on the tea in papa’s 
tumbler or mamma’s cup. No milk, if you 
please, to suit their taste, and no sugar in the 
tea. They prefer to take a lump of the very 
hardest sugar in their fingers and nibble it as 
they swallow the beverage they like so much. 

A slice of lemon is often put in the tumbler 
with the tea. People in our own country 
have begun to copy this custom, and drink 


Our Little Russian Cousin 15 

what we call “ Russian tea.” No doubt you 
have heard of it. 

Let us turn to the wall and notice the large 
picture of the Madonna and the infant Jesus 
hanging there. A lamp is burning in front 
of it. If Petrovna comes into the room now, 
she will go to that picture at once and cross 
herself before it. Every devout Russian has 
at least one religious picture in his house, and 
will always pay it reverence when he enters. 

If a thief should happen to come into Pe- 
trovna's house in the night, he would not dare 
to steal in the presence of such a picture, 
however brave he might be. He would first 
hang a cloth over the painting. Then he 
would go on with his wicked work without 
further thought. 

There is a large organ in this grand draw- 
ing-room. It is played almost automatically. 
(A big word, isn’t it ?) Petrovna and Ivan 
have music boxes here, as the Russians are 


1 6 Our Little Russian Cousin 


very fond of music. I fear they are rather 
lazy, though, for many of their musical instru- 
ments do not depend on the skill of those 
who play upon them. They make what we 
call mechanical music. 

There are several little tables about the 
room, as Petrovna’s mamma and papa are 
fond of playing cards with their friends. In- 
deed, you need not be surprised at seeing the 
rich merchant playing a game at his store any 
hour of the day. He smokes and drinks tea 
while he plays. And mamma does the same. 
Yes, my dears, the women of Russia, of your 
own white race, roll their dainty cigarettes and 
smoke them as commonly as the men do. 
Petrovna will doubtless do this very thing 
when she is older. When she comes to 
America she will probably be much surprised 
to see only men practising the habit. 

Petrovna and Ivan go to bed much later 
than their cousins across the Atlantic, while 





BABY BROTHER AND HIS NURSE 






























Our Little Russian Cousin 17 


their parents often sit up till three or four 
o’clock in the morning. Such a gay city as 
they live in ! Balls and parties, theatres and 
sleigh-rides, night after night in the winter 
season. Of course people cannot rise early 
for breakfast if they are awake nearly all night. 
It is not often that Petrovna’s papa goes to 
his store before ten or eleven o’clock in the 
morning. The whole city looks sleepy and dis- 
mal before that time. The sky is gray and 
dreary, and the fog is thick and damp. The 
stores are closed, and few people are to be 
seen. 

But it is dinner-time. Here come the chil- 
dren with their skates on their arms, and with 
them are the nurse and their baby brother. 
He has been out for a ride in his little sleigh. 
He is wrapped up so tightly you can hardly 
see his fat cheeks and the dimple in his chin. 

As nurse takes off her hood and cape, I 
want you to notice her dress. It is the 


1 8 Our Little Russian Cousin 


national costume of Russia. She wears a 
loose white undergarment with full short 
sleeves. It is low in the neck. She has a 
dark skirt over this. The band is fastened 
around her body under the arms, while straps 
over the shoulders hold it in place. I must 
not forget to mention a large white apron, 
which is fastened by a belt around her waist. 
Nor would she think herself dressed without 
her ear-rings and bead necklace. The mo- 
ment her hood is taken off she puts a high 
cap of bright-coloured muslin on her head. 
This is always worn in the house to show she 
is a married woman. 

And here come papa and mamma. Papa is 
a fine-looking man with a long beard. Mamma 
looks good and kind, and has a sweet voice, 
but she could not be called pretty. 

Dinner is waiting, and all have fine appe- 
tites. As they enter the dining-room they do 
not sit down to the table at once. One by 


Our Little Russian Cousin 19 

one they go up to a sideboard where all sorts 
of cold dishes are served. There are dried 
beef, smoked salmon, cheese, radishes, and 
other relishes of which Russians are fond. 
Each one helps himself to some of these dain- 
ties. They take small portions, however, for 
this is what they call the zakushka, or appe- 
tiser. You need not try to pronounce it 
unless you wish. It is to make them hungrier 
for the solid meal, which comes afterward. 
How these people do eat! First there is 
cabbage soup, made of chopped cabbage which 
has been boiled with a piece of meat. Pe- 
trovna first dips her spoon into a dish of 
barley beside her plate, and then into the 
soup. She is very fond of this national dish. 
The richest and the poorest people, even the 
Czar himself, eat it continually and never tire 
of it. The only difference is that the poor 
peasant can seldom afford the meat which 
improves its flavour so much. 


20 Our Little Russian Cousin 

Next comes a pie made of fish and raisins. 
It seems rather queer to us to have these two 
things cooked together, but our Russian cous- 
ins think it is very good. And now a roast 
lamb is served with salted cucumbers, followed 
by buckwheat pudding, and ices, for dessert. 

Last, but not least, the samovar is set on 
the table, and cup after cup of delicious tea 
is drunk by the family. 

I forgot to tell you that sour cream was 
served with the soup, and papa and mamma 
drank some cordial while they ate of the 
zakushka. This was to encourage their 
appetites still more. But I certainly can’t 
see what need there was. They ate and ate, 
and drank tea and still more tea, till it seemed 
as if they would be made ill. 

It is said that Russians are among the 
largest eaters in the world. If this be so, I 
do not wonder that so many of them grow 
stout. This makes me think of a story I 


Our Little Russian Cousin 21 


read the other day. Perhaps you would like 
to hear it. There was a certain soldier in 
Russia who ate so much that his friends used 
to lay wagers with strangers as to the quantity 
he could eat at a single time. His friends 
generally won, too. It happened one day 
that the colonel of the regiment made a large 
wager that the man could eat a whole sheep 
at one meal. The cook prepared the sheep in 
many ways, in order to encourage the man’s 
appetite. Of one part he made a pie, of 
another a stew, of still another a hash, and so 
on. 

The man swallowed one preparation after 
another until the sheep was almost eaten, when 
he looked up and said, “ If you give me so 
much zakushka, I am afraid I will not be able 
to eat the sheep when it is brought in.” You 
understand the joke, of course, when you re- 
member that the zakushka is made of the 
side dishes one eats before the regular meal 


22 Our Little Russian Cousin 

is begun. Of course the colonel won his 
bet. 

Besides the cabbage soup, there are still 
others of which the Russians are very fond. 
One of these is made with cold beer with 
pieces of cucumber, meat, and red herrings 
floating about in it, as well as bits of ice. 
Still another is made of a fish called the 
sterlet, which is found only in the Volga, 
the principal river of Russia. Then there 
are trout soup, perch soup, and several other 
kinds of which you probably never heard. 

But now let us leave the dinner-table and 
go out into Petrovna’s yard. At one end 
of it there is a high platform. It is built at 
least twenty feet above the ground. Steps 
lead up to it on one side, while from the 
other a long slant reaches down to a frozen 
pond below. This slant looks as though it 
were solid shining ice. But underneath there 
are stout boards to keep it smooth and 


Our Little Russian Cousin 23 

unbending. They are fastened to a very 
strong framework. Now guess, if you please, 
why this ice hill, as it is called, was made in 
Petrovna's back yard. To amuse her and 
her little brother, of course. 

They are very fond of coasting. They like 
it even better than skating. So their thought- 
ful papa hired two workmen. They made the 
framework and laid great blocks of ice close 
together upon the slant. They then poured 
water over the ice to make it perfectly smooth. 
The cold winds blew upon it. It froze solid 
in a few minutes, and not a crack in the ice can 
be seen. It will last all winter, for in Russia 
the warm days, that we sometimes have in 
January, are scarcely known. 

Petrovna and Ivan take their sleds every 
morning as soon as lessons are over, and away 
they run up the steps of their ice hill. Hurrah ! 
Now hold your breath, for away they go, faster 
and faster, down the hill and over the pond 


24 Our Little Russian Cousin 

below. How they shout with delight ! They 
travel more quickly than any express train you 
ever saw. 

I am afraid you will be a little envious of 
their fun and wish you had a private ice hill 
like theirs. The best part of it is that these 
little Russians don’t have to wait for a good 
snow-storm to make coasting for them. It 
is always on hand and made to order. 

Petrovna has a hill made of polished wood 
at her summer home on the island. It cost 
a good deal of money, but her papa thought, 
“ What does that matter ? The children like 
coasting better than any other sport, so coast- 
ing they shall have.” 

There are public ice-hills in several parts of 
the city. Both old and young people are very 
fond of coasting. The Emperor himself has a 
slide of beautiful mahogany in his palace. It 
has been polished until it shines like one of 
the finest pieces of furniture. 


Our Little Russian Cousin 25 

Petrovna and Ivan do not go to school as 
some of the poor children do. They have a 
French governess. She teaches them to read, 
write, and spell. She also gives them lessons 
in French and German, She is a fine scholar, 
and Petrovna’s papa and mamma respect her 
greatly. She is treated like one of the family 
and meets all of their friends. Petrovna’s 
mamma wished her children’s governess to 
be a Frenchwoman, because French is gen- 
erally spoken in good society in Russia. Of 
course she can teach them to pronounce it 
better than a person of their own country 
could. 

Besides the two languages they are studying 
now, Ivan and Petrovna will soon take Latin, 
and perhaps Italian. Well-educated people 
of Russia often speak several different lan- 
guages. But there are thousands, yes, mil- 
lions of the poor in their land who cannot 
read their own language or even write their 


26 bur Little Russian Cousin 


own names ! The schools are not as common, 
you see, as in this country, but they are grow- 
ing better every year. 

By the way, I must tell you that there are 
more than forty different tongues spoken in 
the various parts of, the great country of Rus- 
sia. If you learned to speak the Russian 
language in one part of it, you might not 
understand what the people say in a different 
part. 

In Petrovna’s yard there is a little house 
close to the main one. If she should let you 
look in, you would see a large brick oven at 
the end of the room. Wide shelves are 
fastened one above another on the side of 
the wall. You can’t imagine what this place 
is used for, so I shall certainly have to tell 
you. It is the family bath-house. I can 
hear you cry, “ What a bath-house ! I don’t 
see any tub, or, in fact, anything that looks 
like a bath-house.” But the children of 


Our Little Russian Cousin 27 

Russia do not take water baths as you do. 
They are bathed by steam. 

Every Saturday a big fire is made in the 
stove, and when the bricks are very hot, water 
is poured over them. The room is filled with 
hot steam. Petrovna delights in this weekly 
bath. At first she lies on a low shelf until 
she gets quite warm. The perspiration starts 
out all over her little naked body. Then her 
maid places her on a higher shelf and pours 
more water over the stove. More steam 
rises, and Petrovna grows warmer and warmer. 
It seems as though she would suffocate. Now 
for a still higher shelf in the room. Of course 
the higher up the little girl goes, the hotter 
she grows. The water fairly runs out of the 
pores of her skin, now. Instead of looking 
like a lily, she would remind you of a boiled 
lobster. 

Shouldn’t you think she would get cold 
after a hot bath like that, especially as she 


28 Our Little Russian Cousin 

is going out of doors into the freezing air? 
She never does, however, and I will tell you 
why. When she has been steamed enough, 
she is slowly cooled off by having first warm 
and then cold water poured over her. When 
all is finished, and she has been rubbed down, 
she feels as fresh and sweet as a flower. 

She is ready for the next day’s duty and 
pleasure now. To-morrow is the Sabbath, 
and every good Russian takes his bath on 
the day before. Sunday morning comes. 
Every one of the family wears his holiday 
clothes, for, after breakfast, all will attend 
church service. 

Petrovna’s mamma has promised to take 
her to-day to the cathedral of St. Mark. 
She is so pleased she can hardly wait till the 
time comes to put on her wraps. No hat 
for her, if you please. That would not keep 
her dear little head warm enough. She wears 
a hood with a deep cape, and a long white 


Our Little Russian Cousin 29 

cloak of astrakhan. Perhaps you have a muff 
of the same material. I wonder if you think 
it is fur. Astrakhan is the soft white fleece 
taken from the new-born lamb of a peculiar 
kind of sheep. The sooner the baby lamb is 
killed, the handsomer is the wool. Every year 
thousands of sheep are raised in Asia so that 
the beautiful white, gray, and black astrakhan 
can be sent to Russia, and to people in other 
parts of the world. 

Petrovna wears her hood and cloak with 
the wool inside to keep her all the warmer. 
Her mamma has a hood and cloak of the 
richest sable. It cost thousands of dollars. 
You cannot see its beauty, for she wears it 
with the fur on the inside to keep her com- 
fortable, just as Petrovna does. 

The sleigh is at the door, and it is time 
to leave. What a curious one it is ! It is 
low and small, and the back of the seat is so 
low that Petrovna might fall over backward 


30 Our Little Russian Cousin 

if she were not used to it. There is just 
room enough for the little girl and her 
mamma, with a small seat in front for the 
coachman. Notice his queer clothes and his ^ 
funny-looking hat. It makes you think of 
a battered stovepipe. The upper part of the 
crown is much wider than the lower part, and 
the narrow brim curls up. His blue cloak 
is quite loose, and has a long plaited skirt. 
It is fastened on one side with six metal but- 
tons. A heavy leather belt is clasped around 
his waist. 

Observe the horses. They are fine-looking 
animals, but how queerly they are harnessed. 
The middle one has a high wooden yoke about 
his neck. The rest of the harness is fastened 
to that. The horses on the outside are at- 
tached to the one in the middle by a single 
rein. They are left quite free in their mo- 
tions. They are called madmen. Some sleighs 
have one horse, some two, and some three. 


Our Little Russian Cousin 31 

And now Petrovna and her mamma are 
seated, the fur robes are tucked snugly in, 
the coachman jumps to his seat and makes 
a kind of clucking noise. The horses rush 
onward at a furious rate, and still Petrovna 
calls out, “ Faster ! ” She is not afraid of 
accident, nor is she satisfied, although the 
horses seem to be doing their best. Russians 
are not fond of exercising themselves, but they 
dearly like to be moved as fast as possible. 
This is why they like sleighing and coasting 
better than any other sports. 

As Petrovna rides along she finds that the 
streets are full of sleighs, yet they do not 
sound so merry as they do in our own land. 
What is the difference? There are no sleigh- 
bells. There is a law that none can be used 
in the cities of Russia. I will tell you the 
reason. There are so many sleighs, and the 
streets are so crowded with them (for hardly 
any person walks), that the drivers would get 


32 Our Little Russian Cousin 

confused by the sound of so many bells, and 
run into each other. There is a very 
severe punishment for the one who causes 
such an accident. But strange to say, al- 
though there is so much driving, few people 
are injured. The coachmen are very careful, 
although they probably drive faster than the 
people of any other country. 

In a few minutes Petrovna and her mamma 
arrive in front of a very grand building. This 
is the cathedral. Papa and the rest of the 
family drive up at the same time, and all 
alight. See the crowd of beggars at the gates ! 
There are poor men and women who ask for 
enough money to buy a dinner of coarse black 
bread. There are nuns who are asking alms 
to support their convent. Few people are 
willing to refuse at the very doors of the 
church. 

The cathedral is built in the shape of a 
cross. All churches in Russia are built in 



A VERY GRAND BUILDING. 


— 










Our Little Russian Cousin 33 


the same way. But notice these massive steps. 
Each is cut out of a single block of granite. 
Stand off a little and look at the great, shining 
dome. It is made of copper but is covered 
thickly with gold. It is so far up, and shines 
so brightly in the sunlight, that it is a beacon- 
light to the sailors far out on the sea. 

Now let us follow our little cousin and enter 
the cathedral. How dark, and yet how beauti- 
ful it is ! There are no seats. Rich and poor 
are standing together in worship. See those 
great columns of beautiful stones. The deli- 
cate sea-green is malachite. That heavenly 
blue is lapis lazuli. Does it not make you 
think of fairy-land? Notice, please, the num- 
ber of beautiful pictures. There are no 
statues or images in the building, because the 
Russian Church does not think it right to 
worship them. 

Listen to the music. There is no organ, 
but hidden from sight is a choir of men 


34 Our Little Russian Cousin 

who are chanting. Are not their voices fine? 
Would you not like to stay all day to listen 
to such music ? But what is Petrovna doing ? 
As she entered the church she bought a can- 
dle at a stand near the door. Now she brings 
it to a shrine at the side of the great building. 
She offers it to a priest, who lights it and 
places it in a silver stand in front of the sacred 
picture. There are several holes in the stand, 
in which other candles are burning. The 
priest allows each candle to burn only a 
minute or two, because many other people 
keep coming up. They wish to have their 
candles burn there also. 

As our dear little cousin stands there cross- 
ing herself devoutly, let us notice the picture 
of the Madonna before which the candles are 
burning. Her dress, as well as the halo 
around her head, is fairly covered with gold 
and silver and precious stones. Good and 
pious people have spent thousands of dollars 


Our Little Russian Cousin 35 

for these beautiful gems. The only parts not 
covered are the face and hands. The back- 
ground, even, is covered with gold. There 
are many other such shrines in the cathedral. 
A white-robed priest attends to the candles, 
which are kept burning night and day in each 
one of these shrines. 

The church is filled with the odour of in- 
cense. Through the faint blue smoke we can 
still watch Petrovna as she stands throughout 
the service. Now and then she bows her 
body to the floor, or crosses herself as some 
sacred name is repeated. 

And now it is over. A ride once more, and 
home is reached. The rest of the day is 
given up to play and pleasure. Papa goes to 
his club for a game of cards. Perhaps Pe- 
trovna and Ivan will go out coasting, or 
mamma will take them for a visit to some 
friends. After church service, Sunday in 
Russia is a gala-day for rich and poor. It is 


36 Our Little Russian Cousin 


a time for parties in winter, and picnics in 
the summer-time. 

Sometimes in the morning Petrovna and 
her brother go to early market with the maid. 
It is more fun in winter than in summer, even 
though “Jack Frost” is on the watch to nip 
off their noses. Snow is everywhere to be 
seen on the housetops and fences, and great 
drifts of snow are being dug out in the streets. 
Icicles are hanging from every corner. Yes, 
Jack Frost is a merry-looking fellow, but he 
is ready to bite you if he has half a chance. 
Petrovna touches her nose and cheeks every 
little while to be sure they are not numb. It 
is so easy in northern Russia to find oneself 
with a frozen ear or nose. A disagreeable 
surprise party, indeed. 

But the market! You never saw anything 
like it. It is well that it is called “ the frozen 
market.” Here are whole sheep standing on 
their stiff, frozen legs, and looking at you with 


Our Little Russian Cousin 37 


their frozen eyes. Beside them are pigs with 
their four legs pulled outwards, and looking, 
oh ! so queer and odd. Quails, grouse, 
chickens, ducks, partridges, — all kinds of 
fowls and game, and all frozen. They have 
been frozen for weeks, and will stay so in this 
frosty air till they are handed over to the 
hard-hearted cooks. Then into the oven they 
will go, and come out, brown and tender, on 
the dinner-table. 

Russia is a great place for game of all kinds. 
In the market there are great piles of fish in a 
solid frozen heap. Petrovna takes hold of a 
string, and lifts a brick of frozen milk. That 
is the way milk is sold. No quart measures 
are needed in winter in St. Petersburg. 

The children ask the maid to take the long 
way home, for they wish to look again at the 
statue of their loved Kriloff. How dear he is 
to all Russian children ! His stories of dogs, 
cats, rabbits, foxes, squirrels, and other living 


38 Our Little Russian Cousin 

creatures, bring them nearer to the hearts of 
everybody. The figures of many of the ani- 
mals that live in his stories are carved on 
his monument. 

But look ! What is all this commotion 
about ? See the crowd gathering on the side- 
walks. The street is cleared by the police, 
for the Emperor is coming, the Great White 
Czar. First comes a squadron of cavalry, and 
behind them is the royal sleigh. It is drawn 
by two beautiful horses. Three officers sit in 
the sleigh with the Emperor. 

What a fine face and figure he has! He 
looks kind and noble, but worn with the cares 
of his great empire. As he passes along, the 
people cheer with might. They love him 
with all their hearts. He is the head of their 
Church. He is the father of this great people. 
They worship him, and would save him all 
his care if they could. But alas ! there are 
enemies in this very city who may even now 


Our Little Russian Cousin 39 

be plotting to take his life. They do not 
believe in kings, nor, indeed, in rulers of any 
kind. They work secretly against him with 
other people all over Russia. Although from 
time to time they are discovered and killed or 
sent into exile, others take their places. This 
great ruler, who is warmly loved by his sub- 
jects, is in danger of his life all the time. No 
wonder he looks so careworn. 

Petrovna and Ivan look long and tenderly 
after him, cheering till their little throats are 
quite tired out. Then they hurry home to 
tell mamma what they have seen to-day. 

At dinner Ivan said, Cf Papa, I wish you 
would tell me something about the Cossacks. 
They seem to go everywhere the Czar does. 
I noticed them in the body of cavalry this 
morning. They look and dress so differently 
from us, but they ride their horses nobly. I 
would like to look like a Cossack when on 
horseback.” 


40 Our Little Russian Cousin 


“ They are noble men, indeed,” said papa. 
“ Their home is far away from us, in the south 
of Russia. A long time ago they were at war 
with us, but now they are good friends and 
strong defenders of our country. In time of 
war they are the spies and scouts. They are 
so faithful that the Emperor can feel perfectly 
safe when they are near. They pay no taxes, 
but give their services in the army instead.” 

<c Papa,” interrupted Ivan, “ why do they 
wear long beards and have no buttons on 
their coats? That is not like the rest of the 
cavalry. And they carry no cartridge-boxes.” 

“ That is true,” was the reply. “ The Cos- 
sacks detest buttons, and hook their coats 
over, just as ladies often do. The cartridges 
are carried in a row of pockets on the breasts 
of their coats. You see they are a very inde- 
pendent people, and insist on dressing in their 
own manner. The Czar allows them to do 
so because they are so good in other ways. 


Our Little Russian Cousin 41 

cc You should see them in war. They dare 
to go into the greatest of dangers. They 
admire bravery more than anything else in 
the world. Just before a battle they wash 
themselves and dress with the greatest care. 
They believe that they must be clean if they 
would enter heaven. But when the battle is 
over they draw up in line, leaving empty 
places for their fellows who have fallen. Then 
they sing sad songs in memory of them. 

“ In their own home they treat each other 
like brothers, and share the land in common. 
They are good to their cattle and horses. 
After a long march they will always care for 
their horses and feed them before doing any- 
thing for themselves. Before they eat they 
always wash themselves, oil their hair, and 
pray. They are as fond of tea as we are, 
my boy. 

“ But this is enough for to-night. I hope 
you will study your history carefully as you 


42 Our Little Russian Cousin 

grow older. I want you to know more about 
the Cossacks, as well as many other interest- 
ing people who live in this great strong coun- 
try of ours.” 

Not many miles from the fine city in which 
Petrovna lives are some other children whose 
home is very different from hers. Their 
parents are peasants who were serfs not many 
years ago. A serf was one kind of slave, for 
he belonged either to the Emperor or some 
rich nobleman. He could be bought and sold 
just like a horse. But the grandfather of the 
present Czar said, “ My people must all be free. 
No human being in my empire shall be a slave 
any longer.” That was the end of serfdom. 

But these people are still very, very poor. 
Few of them can read a book. Many of 
them are lazy and fond of strong drink. 
They live in little villages all over Russia. 
There are more peasants than all other classes 
of people in the country. 


Our Little Russian Cousin 43 


Petrovna's papa must soon go to one of 
these villages on business. His little daughter 
is going with him. She is sorry for the poor 
peasants. She wishes she could give their 
children some pretty playthings like hers. 
She carries a new red skirt for a little girl 
there whom she knows. 

The village looks very bare in the winter 
season. It is still more so in the summer 
time. No trees, no sidewalks, scanty gardens, 
and scarcely what you could call a street. 
Only wide pathways between the rows of 
huts, which are huddled together. There is 
only one two-story house in the place. This 
is owned by the storekeeper or village mer- 
chant. He sells the peasants everything they 
need to buy. He is not of the peasant 
class himself. He came to live here in order 
to make money out of these poor men and 
women. The village well, from which every 
one in the place draws his water, is near his 


44 Our Little Russian Cousin 

house. On the side of the well hangs a sacred 
picture, so that every one who comes there 
may worship first. 

On the front of each hut are three little 
windows, close together. The sashes and 
frames are painted a bright red, or perhaps 
a gaudy purple. The Russian peasant is very 
fond of colour, and will work hard for the 
sake of a new red shirt for himself or a yellow 
skirt for his wife. 

The porch and doorway are on one side of 
the hut. In summer time an earthen kettle 
hangs down from the roof, and as the father 
comes home from his work he will stop a 
moment and tip a little water out of the kettle 
over his hands. He rubs them together and 
wipes himself on the tail of his shirt. This 
is the only washing he has except the weekly 
steaming in the village bath-house. 

Look at the flocks of pigeons around the 
house. They are very tame. They appear 



IN THE PEASANT VILLAGE 













. 







































































































' 


Our Little Russian Cousin 45 


well fed and fat. In Russia the pigeon or 
dove is a sacred bird and is never harmed. 
The rough peasant will share his last crust 
with a pigeon. 

Petrovna goes to the door of one of the 
cottages and passes inside. Oh dear, how close 
the place is ! It smells strongly of the cabbage 
soup boiling for the day’s dinner. Only one 
small room in the house. Yet there is a 
large family of children living here, besides 
half a dozen shaggy-haired dogs. With the 
exception of the big brick stove, there is no 
furniture except what the father made himself. 
In one corner of the room is a rickety table. 

A narrow bench is built against the wall 
on two sides of the room. There are no 
chairs and no beds. How do they get along? 
And yet they seem quite happy and com- 
fortable. Papa and mamma sleep up on top 
of the big stove. The older children sleep 
beside them. Don’t worry, my dears. They 


46 Our Little Russian Cousin 

do not get burned, but like their hard, warm 
bed very much. The logs burn down to ashes 
in the daytime. The bricks are just pleasantly 
warm by night. 

But the little girl to whom Petrovna has 
brought the dress, and her three-year-old 
brother, where do they sleep ? On the benches 
against the walls. If they should have bad 
dreams and tumble off in the night, it would 
not matter so very much, for the bench is near 
the floor. 

When meal time comes, the family does not 
gather around the table, for as I told you, 
there are no seats that can be moved. They 
sit on the benches, and the table is therefore 
kept in the corner of the room. They can 
sit at only two sides of it, of course. 

But I have not yet spoken of the most im- 
portant thing in the house. It is the Ikon, or 
sacred picture. The priest blessed it before 
it was brought to the home. There is a place 


Our Little Russian Cousin 47 

for a candle to burn in front of it, but these 
poor people cannot afford to keep one lighted 
all the time. This picture has no gold upon 
it, like the one in Petrovna’s house. It cost 
only a few pennies, but it is sacred, neverthe- 
less. The family give it reverence many times 
a day. It is never forgotten as they enter 
the room. 

It sometimes happens, I am sorry to say, 
that the father comes home the worse for 
taking strong drink. Perhaps he cannot walk 
straight, and hangs his head from side to side. 
But when he opens the door, he remembers 
to turn to the sacred picture and cross himself 
before it. 

Although there is so little furniture and so 
few windows, the room looks bright and gay. 
The table is painted a gorgeous red, while the 
benches are a brilliant green. 

Black bread made from coarse rye-meal, 
cabbage soup, weak tea (for they cannot 


48 Our Little Russian Cousin 


afford to have it strong), are the daily food 
of the peasants. If they can get some buck- 
wheat and dried herring, once in awhile, they 
think themselves well-off. 

They have many happy times, these poor 
people of Russia. When work is done for 
the day, they dance and sing, and play upon 
the concertina, if any one in the village owns 
one of these cheap musical instruments. 

When Petrovna takes out the red dress for 
the little girl and a large package of buck- 
wheat which mamma has sent to the family, 
every one in the house shouts with delight. 
It seems as though they could not thank her 
enough. Even the dogs wake up and begin 
to bark in excitement. In the midst of it all 
Petrovna's papa calls for her. She must go 
back to the grand city and her fine home. 
She will forget for a time that all children in 
the world cannot be as well dressed and well 
fed as herself. 


Our Little Russian Cousin 49 

Petrovna has never yet been far away from 
St. Petersburg. She longs to go to the beauti- 
ful white-walled city of Moscow. Her mamma 
has been there, and has described its beauties 
over and over again. 

It is a long journey from St. Petersburg. 
As you draw near the city, a blaze of colour 
is spread out before you. Domes of red and 
gold and purple are shining on the hilltops 
in the glorious sunlight. Churches and towers 
and palaces are without number, and differ 
from each other in shape and beauty. Mos- 
cow is a mass of colour made of countless 
gems and countless tints. In the midst of 
•the city is the Kremlin or citadel. But the 
Kremlin is not one building. It is really a 
fortress surrounded by a massive wall that 
encloses many palaces and cathedrals, beautiful 
gardens and stately convents. Great gates 
open into it, and each has its story. One of 
them is called the Nicholas gate. A picture 


50 Our Little Russian Cousin 

of St. Nicholas, whom the Russians worship, 
hangs over it. At one time the French were 
at war with the Russians. They stormed this 
gate and split its solid stonework, but the 
picture was unharmed. “ It is a miracle/’ the 
people said. 

There is a picture of the Virgin over another 
gate. The French tried to get this picture, 
but they did not succeed. This was another 
miracle, all thought, and no one passes through 
that gate now without taking off his hat. 
Within the Kremlin are other sacred pictures, 
which the people believe can work miracles. 

The oil of baptism is prepared and blessed 
by the high-priest in a certain cathedral in 
Moscow. It is sent to every church in 
Russia, that all new-born children may be 
baptised with it. 

Petrovna’s mamma went to the city of 
Moscow when the Czar was crowned. He 
could not be formally made Emperor in St 


Our Little Russian Cousin 51 

Petersburg. That was not to be thought of. 
All Czars must be married as well as crowned 
in Moscow, and, until the time of Peter the 
Great, all have been buried there. 

The coronation of the present Czar was the 
greatest spectacle of modern times. Petrovna 
hears her mamma sigh when she tries to de- 
scribe it. Everything was so grand and shin- 
ing and gorgeous, — processions and fireworks, 
music and feasting, everybody pleased and 
gaily dressed ; men in silk and velvet, ladies 
sparkling in satins covered with pearls and 
diamonds ; the double-headed eagle, the bird 
of Russia, showing its gilded crowns every- 
where. 

In the evening there were no rockets and 
Roman candles, but fireworks that were con- 
stantly shining, while the fronts of the build- 
ings were covered with candles burning in 
glass globes. 

Such horses, such elegant carriages, and 


52 Our Little Russian Cousin 

such fine parks to drive in ! And through 
the city ran the river, reflecting the lights 
from all sides. 

There were days and days of feasting, from 
the time the new Emperor arrived in the city. 
He appeared in the grand procession mounted 
on a snow-white horse. He was dressed very 
simply in dark green, wearing a cap of astra- 
khan. Behind him came a great array of 
princes and grand-dukes. Next came the 
Emperor’s mother in a carriage drawn by 
eight superb horses. After this appeared the 
carriage of the Empress. It was all of gold, 
and also drawn by eight snow-white horses. 

How the crowd cheered, and cheered again ! 
If this could show how devoted the people 
were to their ruler, their love could not be 
measured. 

The governor of the city came out to meet 
the Czar and presented him with bread and 
salt, 


Our Little Russian Cousin 53 

These are the emblems of trust and friend- 
ship. Then the royal family rode onward till 
they came to a little chapel, where the Emperor 
and Empress alighted. They passed in alone 
to worship. 

Now to the Kremlin, where a multitude was 
waiting for them. There were thousands of 
the peasants, who had travelled hundreds of 
miles on foot. They wished to see, if only 
for one moment, the head of their Church and 
State. There were princes and officers from 
every country of the world. There were 
Chinese mandarins, Persian rulers, wealthy 
Indians, people of all colours and races. And 
all were dressed in the richest robes that 
money could buy and art design. Such a 
mass of colour ! Such sparkling of precious 
stones ! Such a wealth of satin and lace and 
velvet and cloth of silver and gold ! 

After his entrance of triumph into the city, 
the Emperor and Empress retired from the 


54 Our Little Russian Cousin 


public eye for three days. They must fast 
and pray until the time that the Czar should 
be crowned, else they would not be in right 
condition for this ceremony. But the others 
in the crowded city did not fast. The days 
were given to pleasures of all kinds, — eating, 
drinking, music, and dancing. 

At last the Czar was crowned ! It was in 
the cathedral, where all other Czars have been 
crowned before. He himself put on the robe 
and collar, and assumed the crown of empire. 
The heavy crown of gold was placed on his 
head by his own hands. He then made a 
noble prayer for himself and the great empire, 
and for the millions of people who are his 
devoted subjects. How fair and strong and 
kindly was his face ! Never had Petrovna’s 
mamma seen anything so grand or so solemn. 
She stops and repeats a prayer now for the 
good Emperor Nicholas II. 

When the ceremony was ended there was a 


Our Little Russian Cousin 55 

ringing of bells all over the city. Hundreds 
of cannon were fired. Then more feasting 
and merriment followed for days yet to come. 
Free dinners were served every day to five 
thousand of the poor. The Czar did not 
forget them. They feasted as they had never 
done before in their lives. 

At last came the great day of the festival. 
It was called the “ people’s fete.” Every one 
was welcome. There were shows of all kinds 
that you can imagine. There were concerts 
and plays, boxing and fencing matches, trained 
animals, — everything to make the people 
happy. Overlooking it all sat the Czar in a 
grand pavilion. All the lords and ladies of 
the land were about him. 

How delightful it was ! Petrovna’s mamma 
leans back in her chair and smiles softly to 
herself as she thinks of that joyful time. 

On many a winter evening, as they sit 
around the big porcelain stove, and sip the 


56 Our Little Russian Cousin 


tea, Petrovna and Ivan beg for stories. They 
like fairy tales best of all. Their favourite 
one is the story of “ Frost.” Perhaps you 
would like to hear it. 

Once upon a time there was a man who had 
three children. His wife was extremely fond 
of two of the daughters, but she was cruel and 
unkind to the third girl, whose name was 
Marfa. This was because Marfa was her 
stepdaughter. She made Marfa get up early 
in the morning to work, while her stepsisters 
were having a nice nap. The poor girl had 
to feed the cattle, bring in the wood, make 
the fire, and sweep the room. After this she 
must mend the clothes and do many other 
things before the rest of the family stirred. 
What a hard time she had, poor child ! And 
then she was only scolded for her labour. 

She did not have a kind word from any one 
except her old father, and then only when 
they were alone together. He was afraid of 


Our Little Russian Cousin 57 


his wife, and did not dare to be good to Marfa 
when the others were around. She was a 
beautiful girl, and was sweet and patient, 
besides. Her stepmother was jealous of her 
because she was so much lovelier than her 
sisters. The old woman said to herself, “ I 
will put the girl out of my sight and get rid 
of her. I hate her.” 

That very night she said to her husband, 
“ Come, old man, get up early in the morning 
and harness the horse. Take Marfa away on 
a visit.” Then she turned to her stepdaugh- 
ter, and said, “ Put your clothes together and 
dress neatly when you get up, for your father 
will be ready to take you away.” 

The girl was delighted. She thought how 
nice it would be to go where people would 
be kind to her. Morning came. Marfa 
washed herself carefully, prayed to God, put 
on her best dress, and looked lovely enough 
to be a bride. 


58 Our Little Russian Cousin 

The old stepmother called her to a break- 
fast of cold cabbage soup, and then said to 
her, “ Now, Marfa, get out of my sight for 
even I have seen enough of you. The 
sledge is at the door. Husband, take Marfa 
to her bridegroom. Go straight down the 
road, turn to the right, go up the hill till you 
come to an old pine-tree, and there leave 
the girl for Frost. He will soon come to get 
her.” 

The poor old father looked sad enough 
when he heard these words, but he did not dare 
to disobey his wife. He and Marfa got into 
the sledge and rode away slowly. His daugh- 
ter was weeping bitterly. In a little while 
they came to the place where they were 
ordered to stop. Marfa got out and sat down 
under the pine-tree. The old man rode 
away. He thought he should never see his 
darling child again. He wept at the thought. 
Soon he was out of sight. 



MARFA AND FROST 





































































Our Little Russian Cousin 59 


There was nothing but snow for Marfa to 
look upon now. The ground was covered 
with great drifts. The bushes were buried 
under it. The branches of the trees were 
bending under its weight. Not a sound could 
be heard save the falling of icicles and the 
creaking steps of Frost as he leaped from tree 
to tree. 

Marfa was chilled through. Her teeth 
chattered. Her lips were blue and stiff. She 
was too cold to sob or cry out. Frost was 
coming nearer and nearer. Pretty soon he 
was in the tree above Marfa’s head. He cried 
out, “ Maiden, are you warm ? ” “ Oh, yes, 

quite warm enough, dear Father Frost,” she 
answered. Then he came down from the tree. 
Now she was almost frozen. 

He called again, “ Are you warm, my sweet 
girl ? Are you sure you are warm enough ? ” 
By this time Marfa was so numb she could 
hardly move her lips. But she tried to 


60 Our Little Russian Cousin 

answer, “ Oh, yes, dearest sir, I am warm 
enough.” Frost took pity on the poor patient 
maiden. He brought furs and warm blankets 
and wrapped her up in them. Then he left 
her. 

She slept unharmed all night, and, when 
she woke in the morning, she found gifts of 
rich clothing which Frost had brought her in 
the night. Her father soon appeared with the 
sledge. He had expected to find her dead 
body, but she was well and healthy. Not even 
a finger was frozen. How the old man rejoiced. 
He took Marfa and her fine presents into the 
sledge, and they rode home together. 

You can imagine how angry the stepmother 
was when she saw the girl again. But when 
she heard how kind Frost had been, and saw 
the beautiful clothing he had given Marfa, 
she said, “ Husband, you must take my girls 
to their bridegroom. He will be far kinder 
to them than he has been to Marfa, I am 


Our Little Russian Cousin 61 

sure of that.” Then she said to her daugh- 
ters, cc I have found a bridegroom for you. 
You must go to meet him.” 

The next morning the girls got up and 
dressed themselves in their best. They were 
very happy. They thought to themselves, 
“ Oh, my, what a fine time we shall have ! ” 
They got into the sledge with their father and 
away they went. They soon came to the pine- 
tree where Marfa had stayed the other night. 
They got out and sat down. Their father 
drove away. 

The girls began to laugh together. They 
said, “ What a queer idea of mother to send 
us here for a bridegroom, — as if there were 
not enough young men in the village.” It 
was bitter cold, and they soon began to get 
cross and quarrel with each other. One of 
them said, “ Suppose only one bridegroom 
comes, whom will he take?” £C It will be I, 
of course,” was her sister’s reply. “ Indeed, 


62 Our Little Russian Cousin 


no,” exclaimed the other ; “ I will be the 
chosen one.” They grew colder and colder, 
stiffer and stiffen But they kept quarrelling 
and calling each other bad names. 

Frost was some way off, but the girls now 
heard him cracking his fingers and snapping 
the pine-trees. “ Listen, some one is coming. 
I hear sleigh-bells,” said the older sister. But 
the other would not listen. She declared she 
was too cold. 

Frost came nearer and nearer. At last he 
stood in front of the two girls. He spoke 
to them just as he had to Marfa before. 
“ Well, my darlings, are you cold? ” But the 
girls only answered with bad words. They 
called Frost names such as no wise person 
would dare to speak to this great being. Yet 
again he called out, “ Are you warm, my 
pretty ones ? ” And again they answered him 
with curses. But as they did so they fell dead 
to the ground. 


Our Little Russian Cousin 63 


The next morning the old woman said 
to her husband, “ Come, harness the horse 
quickly, and go fetch the girls home. There 
was a terrible frost last night. They must 
be half-dead with cold.” The father did as 
she bid him, and drove away to the pine-tree. 
But what did he see? Two lifeless bodies, 
frozen stiff*! He put them in the sledge, cov- 
ered them over, and carried them home. As 
he drove up to the cottage, the old woman 
went out to meet her daughters. 

What a sight was there ! The girls had 
indeed met their bridegroom, but it was Death. 
After this the old woman treated her step- 
daughter all the worse for awhile, but she 
soon got over it. She grew kind and loving. 
They lived pleasantly ever after. 

Marfa married a neighbour who had a 
good home to give her. She and her chil- 
dren are very happy. But when her children 
are naughty, their grandfather frightens them 


64 Our Little Russian Cousin 

by saying, “ Look out, or Frost will get 
you.” 

Petrovna and Ivan shiver as the story ends, 
and draw nearer their dear mamma, as though 
she could protect them from any danger. 

The long, cold winter is gone at last. The 
ice of the river begins to break up. It has 
been frozen solid for months, but now it is 
cracking and softening and beginning to move 
out to the sea. The commander of the fort on 
the opposite side of the river discovered this 
last midnight. He did not wait a single 
moment. He started at once to carry the 
glad news to the Emperor, while cannon 
were fired off from the fort. 

When he reached the palace, perhaps you 
think the attendants kept him waiting because 
the Czar was asleep. Not at all. He was 
shown at once into the royal presence. He 
presented the Czar with a goblet filled with 
ice-cold water he had brought from the 


Our Little Russian Cousin 65 

river. This was his way of stating the good 
news. The Emperor drank to the good for- 
tune of the city, and then filled the goblet with 
silver for the bringer of the news. In olden 
times the goblets grew larger every year. It 
cost the Czar more money each time. At 
last he said, “ Let the glass always be of a 
certain size, after this.” Of course, that settled 
it. 

When the news was brought to the city, 
everybody was glad. The next day was made 
a holiday. Petrovna and Ivan were excused 
from lessons and went out to see the sights. 

Eight weeks before Easter, comes Butter- 
Week. The whole city gives itself up for 
seven days of feasting and festival. Pancakes 
are eaten at every meal. Not like the pan- 
cakes your mamma makes, my dears. At 
least, I hope not. For the Russian pancakes, 
or “ blinni,” as they are called, are much too 
rich for your little stomachs. They are made 


66 Our Little Russian Cousin 

of flour and butter, cooked in butter, and 
eaten with butter. And not only is this 
greasy food eaten in quantities, but many 
other things containing a great deal of fat. 

Petrovna’s mamma has a blinni party for 
her friends, and Petrovna has another for her 
playmates. The family are invited out to 
blinni parties at other houses. They are the 
queerest parties you ever heard of. Even in 
the grandest houses they are held in the 
kitchen. Perhaps you can guess the reason. 
The cakes must be eaten hot, as soon as they 
come off the griddle. Therefore the people 
must sit as near the stove as possible. 

Petrovna eats her favourite cakes, until she 
can swallow nothing more. By the end of 
the week her head, as well as her stomach, be- 
gins to ache. She is all ready for the seven 
weeks of fasting before Easter. She is a faith- 
ful little girl, and never thinks of fussing be- 
cause she must now live very quietly. She 


Our Little Russian Cousin 67 

goes often to church, and repeats many prayers. 
She eats the simplest food, but all Russia does 
the same, so she has plenty of company. 

The night before Easter comes at last. 
Petrovna and Ivan do not go to bed as early 
as usual. They leave home with their parents 
a little while before midnight. They are going 
to church. Everybody else in the city goes, 
too. 

The streets are full of carriages as they ride 
along. Our little Russian cousins are driven 
to the same cathedral to which you have been 
with them before. They enter and join the 
crowd of worshippers. The lights burn dimly. 
All is silent. The great bell begins to ring 
the midnight hour. The other bells of the city 
join. As the last stroke is sounded the priests 
come out through the doors of the sanctuary. 
Listen ! they are chanting, “ Christ is risen ! 
Christ is risen ! ” The people respond, “ Christ 
is risen.” 


68 Our Little Russian Cousin 


At the beginning of the chant all begin to 
move around, kissing friends and acquaintances 
in every direction. The bells keep pealing 
forth the glad news. Cannon are fired off 
throughout the city. Rockets are flashing 
in the sky. The cathedral itself suddenly 
becomes ablaze with light. 

The kissing lasts all night and during the 
next day. No one thinks of meeting another 
without a cordial greeting and a kiss. Old 
men kiss each other. Old women kiss, chil- 
dren kiss. The Emperor kisses all those of 
his household. Petrovna’s papa kisses his 
clerks. Petrovna herself, dear little maiden, 
kisses right and left, with the most loving 
heart in the world. For this is Easter-time, 
the glorious time when all should love each 
other and show it as best they can. 

Feasting begins with the kissing. It is 
a great holiday for everybody. Petrovna’s 
mamma has a grand dinner-party for her 


Our Little Russian Cousin 69 

friends. But she does not forget those who 
are not so well off as herself. Many a basket 
of good things is sent out to poor homes. 
Many a blessing is given our little Petrovna, 
who rides about the city leaving her mamma’s 
gifts. Yes, indeed, it is a beautiful time, this 
Easter day in Russia. 

As the weather gets warmer, Petrovna be- 
gins to look forward to the great fair of Nijni- 
Novgorod. It will be a long, long journey. 
She has never travelled so far in her life be- 
fore. But dear kind papa has promised her 
she shall go with him this time. He travels 
there himself every year to trade with the 
merchants of far-away countries. 

The day before they are ready to start, he 
comes home earlier than usual from his place 
of business. He says, “ Come, Petrovna and 
Ivan, ask the maid to put on your best 
clothes. I am going to take you to the 
Winter Palace. You have teased me to take 


70 Our Little Russian Cousin 

you there often enough. Hurry, or we shall 
not have time.” 

The children scamper away. They are 
soon dressed. Their papa looks at his pretty 
children with pride, as he helps them into the 
carriage. Away they dash over the pavements 
till they draw up in front of an immense build- 
ing. It is painted brownish-red and yellow. 
The outside is ornamented with the figures 
of angels, and many other beautiful things. 

This is the Winter Palace. It is the largest 
residence in the whole world. Six thousand 
people live in it. Shouldn’t you be afraid of 
getting lost there ? There is a story that a 
servant kept some cows in one of the garrets 
there, a long time ago, and no one found it 
out for a long while. 

Petrovna and Ivan open their eyes wide 
as they pass through the high gilded halls ; 
they see so many beautiful things to admire. 
Such richly carved chairs and tables ! Such 


Our Little Russian Cousin 71 


immense vases of malachite and jasper and 
porphyry ! So many fine paintings of the 
Czars and generals and other great people of 
Russia ! 

In the throne-room of Peter the Great the 
walls are hung with red velvet. Golden eagles 
are beautifully embroidered upon it. But the 
royal jewels ! How Petrovna’s blue eyes 
sparkle as she looks upon the crown of her 
Emperor. It is in the shape of a dome, and 
is studded with large diamonds, with a border 
of pearls. At the very top of it is an immense 
ruby. It is very beautiful. The Empress’s 
coronet is most dainty. It is of diamonds of 
the same size. It is enough to dazzle one 
with its beauty. In the room where these 
jewels are kept and guarded there are many 
others noted all over the world. 

The sceptre of the Czar bears one of the 
largest diamonds ever discovered. Many 
years ago a rich count gave it to the 


72 Our Little Russian Cousin 

Empress Catherine II. There are bracelets 
and necklaces and coronets made of precious 
stones. It seems as though Petrovna and 
Ivan had suddenly landed in the cave of 
Aladdin. 

But it is getting late. It is long after their 
dinner hour. They must leave these beautiful 
sights and hasten home to mamma. 

The morning for the great journey comes. 
It finds our Russian cousins awake bright and 
early. The trunks are strapped, the dear 
baby brother is fondly kissed, and papa, 
mamma, Petrovna, and Ivan begin their 
long ride. They pass many little villages as 
the express train rushes along. Then they go 
onward over great plains of barley and rye. 
The train is crowded with others, who are 
taking the same journey as themselves, and 
papa talks with many friends who have busi- 
ness at the great fair. 

They travel all day and all night, besides 


Our Little Russian Cousin 73 


several hours of the next day. As they near 
the end, the weather grows warmer, the trees 
are larger and the grass greener than at home. 
For they are farther south. They are too 
tired to look out of the windows any longer. 
Petrovna is dozing away, and dreaming of her 
loved ice-hill, when she finds herself gently 
shaken. Mamma is smiling at her and saying, 
“ Wake up, my darling, we are here at last.” 

The train has stopped. Every one is 
getting out. Our little cousins are helped out 
of the car into a comfortable low carriage and 
are driven to a grand hotel. A good dinner 
is served, and Petrovna and Ivan are put to 
bed. They must get rested and prepare for 
the excitement of the coming week. They 
are both so tired and sleepy they are glad 
to rest after the long, hard journey. 

Perhaps you do not know that this great 
fair is held every year for the benefit of the 
people of Asia as well as Russia. After a 


74 Our Little Russian Cousin 

long night’s sleep our merchant’s family go 
out into the streets of the old city and see 
many curious sights. Men of many ' nations 
are gathered together. Chinamen with their 
long queues and big sleeves are jostling Per- 
sians in flowing silk robes and gay turbans. 
Here are Cossacks mounted on fine horses 
acting as policemen. There are some gypsies 
on their way to the fair. They expect to 
tell fortunes and make much money out of 
the curious peasants. 

What a bustle and commotion ! What a 
discord of strange languages on every side ! 
What variety of costumes, and, above all, 
what dust ! 

The fair grounds are about a mile from the 
hotel. Our little cousins are in as much of a 
hurry to get there as you would be. It does 
not take long, however, for the driver of their 
carriage hurries his horses onward through the 
crowd. 



THE GREAT FAIR OF NIJNI-NOVGOROD 

















. 
































Our Little Russian Cousin 75 

Now for the fair itself. It is arranged in 
the shape of a triangle, and covers a square 
mile. Not an inch of space is wasted. Every- 
thing is in order. Every trade has a street of 
its own. Many of the bazaars have signs in 
front. These bear the names of all the goods 
that are sold inside. Petrovna’s papa is, of 
course, interested most in the tea. He wishes 
to buy a large stock of it for his trade at 
home. There are many kinds to choose from. 
But he must be sure to get some of the deli- 
cious yellow tea, which he will sell for fifteen 
dollars a pound. It is said to be made from 
the flowers of a certain kind of tea-plant, and 
is quite rare. The wealthy people of Russia 
like it so much that no one else in the world 
gets a chance to buy any. So I have heard, 
at least. If you should drink ever so little of 
it, you might be kept awake all night. Yet 
it looks very weak. 

Besides many expensive teas, Petrovna’s 


76 Our Little Russian Cousin 

papa orders a large supply of tea-bricks. 
They are made out of the refuse of the tea, 
and can be sold to the peasants. Poor crea- 
tures ! they are glad enough to get this poor 
stuff, if they cannot afford better. 

Now follow Petrovna as she stops at the 
booth of this richly dressed Persian. See the 
beautiful rugs and carpets hung up for sale. 
They will last a lifetime for those who have 
money enough to buy them. 

Here is a whole street devoted to the sale 
of silks. There are many beautiful shades. 
Petrovna shall have a piece of delicate yellow 
to make her a new party dress, while her 
mamma chooses one of rich brocade. It is 
heavy enough to stand alone. 

Let us go with our travellers and look with 
them at these exquisite gems, — amethysts, 
crystals, and the clearest of topaz. Petrovna’s 
papa will buy one of these, no doubt. He 
will have it set in a ring to give his wife. 


Our Little Russian Cousin 77 


Besides all the rich and rare things which 
Asia can send to the fair, Russia furnishes 
many things to exchange with her great neigh- 
bour. There are all kinds of goods, which 
have been made in the factories of her cities. 
The most important are the cotton goods, 
the cutlery, and the fine articles of silver. 
There are also immense stores of wheat, bar- 
ley, and other grains, and quantities of dried 
fruits. 

Especially for her own people, there are 
bazaars and bazaars filled with samovars of 
every style, rich furs from the animals of the 
cold lands of the north, and candles by 
millions. 

Day after day, Petrovna and Ivan wander 
about the fair grounds. Each time they see 
something new they wish to buy. When they 
are tired of looking about in the bazaars, they 
go to one of the concert-halls. They will be 
sure to hear some music they like. Or else 


L.ofC. 


78 Our Little Russian Cousin 

they go to a theatre, and see a play that makes 
them laugh till their sides are sore. Perhaps 
they watch the performance of some jugglers, 
and try to discover how they do their wonder- 
ful tricks. Quite often they go into one of 
the restaurants with papa. While he is drink- 
ing tea and talking over prices with the men 
he meets, the children have a dainty lunch, 
and watch the waiters. What queer-looking 
people they are ! They are Tartars. They 
look much like the Chinese, except that their 
heads are shaven. They wear white linen 
shirts and trousers. Their feet are bound 
with pieces of cloth and encased in sandals. 

Among other things, Petrovna watches a 
band of gypsies. They are the very ones she 
saw in the streets the day she arrived in the 
city. Some of them are old and withered and 
ugly. They look like witches. But others 
are young and quite handsome, with their 
black hair and bright dark eyes. The women 


Our Little Russian Cousin 79 

wear bright-coloured handkerchiefs around 
their heads, and shawls over their shoulders. 

Look ! Watch that young girl as she 
dances and twirls her skirt. She is certainly 
very pretty and graceful. She stops now and 
comes up to Petrovna. She wishes to tell her 
fortune. Mamma says yes. Our little girl 
gives the gypsy a piece of silver and holds 
out her hand. The gypsy notices her fine 
clothing, looks well at her mamma, then closely 
examines the little white palm. She tells the 
child that she will be very happy and do 
much good in the world. As she grows up 
she will marry a rich count and live in a grand 
mansion. She says many more pleasant things 
will happen, and Petrovna smiles and believes 
it all. 

Let us leave our dear little cousin here for 
the present. Let us hope that the gypsy’s 
prophecy is a true one. 


THE END. 




NEW JUVENILES 


THE 

I Cosy Corner Series 

A SERIES OF CHARMING ILLUSTRATED 
JUVENILES BY WELL-KNOWN AUTHORS 

We shall issue ten new volumes in this well-known 
series of child classics, and announce four as follows : 

A Little Puritan Pioneer 

By EDITH ROBINSON 

Author of “A Loyal Little Maid,” “A Little Puri- 
tan’s First Christmas,” etc. 

Madam Liberality 

By MRS. EWING 

Author of “ Jackanapes,” “A Great Emergency,” 
“Story of a Short Life,” etc., etc. 

A Bad Penny 

By JOHN T. WHEELWRIGHT 

The other seven will include new stories by Louise 
de la Ramee, Miss Mulock, Nellie Hellis, Will Allen 
Dromgoole, etc., etc. 

Forty-four volumes previously published 

SEND FOR CIRCULARS, ETC. 


L. C. Page & Company’s 


Cosy Corner Series 

OF 

Charming Juveniles 


* 

Each one volume, J6mo, cloth, Illustrated, 50 cents 


Ole Mammy's Torment. By Annie Fellows-Johnston. 
Author of “ The Little Colonel,” etc. 

The Little Colonel. By Annie Fellows-Johnston. 
Author of “ Big Brother.” 

Big Brother. By Annie Fellows-Johnston. 

Author of “ The Little Colonel,” etc. 

The Gate of the Giant Scissors. By Annie Fellows- 
Johnston. 

Author of “ The Little Colonel,” etc. 

Two Little Knights of Kentucky, who were “The Little 
Colonel’s ” neighbors. By Annie Fellows-Johnston. 
A sequel to “ The Little Colonel.” 

The Story of Dago. By Annie Fellows-Johnston. 
Author of “ The Little Colonel,” etc. 

Farmer Brown and the Birds. By Frances Margaret 
Fox. A little story which teaches children that the birds 
are man’s best friends. 














JUL 26 1901 




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